Pressure regulator for thermostat control



y 23, 1933- R. HETHERINGTON 1,910,919

PRESSURE REGULATOR FOR THERMOSTAT CONTROL Filed June 26, 1'

Patented May 23, 1933 ROBERT HETHEBINGTON, or SHARON HILL, PENNSYLVANIA 111 PRESSURE REGULATOR FOR :rrrERMosTAr coirrnor.

Application filed June 26,

jMy invention relates to conduit shower bath structure, with more particular refer- 1 ence to the regulation of flows at shower heads andwhile intended for use with any 1 95 structure to which it may be adapted, is believed to have perhaps its best application to shower heads having an automatic limiting fofthe shower temperature, for example structure including a thermostatic valve opening the supply to a drainage outlet if or when the supply is undesirably hot for a shower, such as disclosed and claimed in a copending applicatiomSer. No. 412,814, entitled Thermostatic control for shower heads.

1 "A purpose of my invention is to provide head) or nonadjustab1e,either or both, and

optionally as an additional safeguard to make any removal of the setting mechanism lower thetemperature of thermostatic open-1 ing of the drainage valve.

A further purpose is to provide the inlet toa shower head of the character indicated with selectively different inlet orifices, aecommodating the same headto use with widely different supply pressures by using selectively any one of the inlet/discs. 1 A further purpose is to provide the supply pipe to a shower head of the character indicated with pressure control mechanism, permitting wide variation in the supply pressure without incurring any danger of unduly hot water reaching the user of the "shower, 1 1

A further purpose is to hasten any operation of a thermostat controlling a drainage discharge valve from a chamber having an overflow discharge to shower outlets by lead- 1931. Serial No. 546,949.

ing the flow that enters thechamber ove the thermostat.

fication and in the claims.

I have preferred to illustrate my invention as applied to a single main form of shower head, with a few only of the many forms of the details to which the present invention is applicable, selecting forms that are practical and efficient in operation and which well illustrate the principles involved. Figure l is a side elevation of a spray nozzle adapted to include detail features embodying a desirable form of my inventionf the nozzle being shown in a position of use.

F igure2 is an enlarged longitudinal section corresponding to a desirable form of the structure of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a View ofthe structure shown" Figures 404, lb and 4c are similar reduced scale fragments of Figure 4 showing detail mod fications.

Figure 5 is a reduced scale, partly sectioned side elevation, correspondlng to a f gment of FigureQ, modified with re pect to a detail.

Figure 6 illustrates a series of inlet disc orifices for use alternatively at the inlet to Further purposes will appear in the speci-.

the head to accommodate different supply 8 pressures.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of a detail,a pressure control fitting inserted before the nozzle.

Like numerals refer to like parts in all 10 that is connected by a suitable union 11, nipple 12, and pressure control fitting 13 to a hot and cold water supply pipe 14, the nozzlebeing provided with spray orifices 15, a valved waste pipe 16, and interior connections preventing water from reaching the spray orifices whenever the temperature of the water in the nozzle reaches any predetermined upper limit beyond which it is considered undesirable for water to discharge through the spray openings.

The nozzle 10 is preferably made of good heat-conducting metal such as b1. ss, with walls that desirably flare outwardly and upwardly and downwardly from an inlet end 17 to the side walls 18 and the upper and lower end walls 19 and 20 of a forward rectangular box-like portion 21 of the nozzle.

The spray plate 22 perforated at 15 to pass the spray is removably mounted upon the open end of the box and carries on its inner side back of the spray openings 15 a light sheet of metal 23 which forms with the main plate 22 a header chamber 24 that opens at the top at 25 into the interior of the box at a high point thereof and is pref erably closed from the box except at this high overflow inlet 25.

The spray plate 22 is removable to give easy access to operating structure inside the box, and is shown held to place by suitable screws 26 and sealed against leakage around the joint by a gasket 27 j A drainage outlet port 28 from a low portion of the box 21, includes inner and outer flanges and a central longitudinally perforated hub. The outer flange receives the inlet end of the drainage pipe 16 and the inner end of the inner flange forms a seat for the drainage valve 29 which carried on a stem 30 having a sliding and guiding support in the perforated hub 31.

The valve 29 is adjustalolymounted upon an intermediate point of the stem member 30. The outwardly projecting part of the stem slides in the stationary guide 31, extends through the guide and carries a spring 32 adjustably compressed between the guide and a head 33 on the outer end of the stem.

The inwardly directed threaded portion 34 of the stem carries spaced sets of nuts 35 and 36 which are used for making a loose operating adjustable connection with a thermostat 37.

The thermostatic element 37 has one end fastened at 38 to the wall of the box at preferably an intermediate point of the box length whence it extends diagonally upwardly to near the upper end of the box, makes an easy return bend at 39 and extending downwardly presents its free end to make a loose operating connection at 40 with the stem of the valve 29.

As illustrated the thermostatic element is perforated at 40 to pass the valve stem with easy clearance, the sets of nuts 35 and 36 forming abutments carried by the stem on opposite sides of the thermostatic element.

Preferably the abutments 35 and 8,6 presented by the stem on opposite sides of the thermostatic element are so set that the thermostatic element holds the valve slightly open at ordinary temperatures when the pressure inside the box is atmospheric.

As soon as a user turns water into the nozzle for use as a spray, the liquid pressure inside the box increases sufficiently to close the valve against the slight opening pull of the thermostat.

If the temperature of the water rises, the force with which the thermostat tends to open the valve progressively increases with the progressive increase in temperature until at the selected hi h temperature this force sufiicient to overcome the liquid closing pressure upon the inside of the valve, the valve being snapped open by the pull of the thermostat which immediately stops dis-.

charge through the spray openings 15, the hot water draining away through the waste outlet.

One important feature of the present invention makes the effective resilient opening pull upon the valve at raised temperatures adj ustably variant, and with change of settings optionally out of reach of the ordinary user. i

This permits an authorized individual to readily set the thermostat to open the valve at different desired temperatures and under respectively different pressure conditions within the box, or/ and to accommodate different resilient characteristics of the thermostatic element.

The compressive strength of the spring 32 is adjustably varied by longitudinally shifting the valve stem with respect to the valve.

Such adjustments effect corresponding changes in the strain of the thermostatic element 37 needed to'hold the valve slightly open at ordinary temperatures, and thereby changes the degree of temperature rise needed to merely relieve an initial strain of the element 37.

The adjustable spring pressure upon the valve may preferably tend to either close or open the valve, according to circumstance, as with respect to the temperature at which the valve is to open, the resilient and thermostatic characteristics of the thermostatic element, as well as with respect to pressure conditions back of the valve.

Figure 4: shows the spring 32 adjustably pressing in a direction to close the valve while fragmentary Figure 4a shows the spring 32 adjustably pressing in a direction to open the valve.

hen installed in hotels it is particularly desirable that the setting of the thermostat shall be out of reach of transient guests, as otherwise tampering with the setting mechanism by a guest may result in scalding conditions at the shower.

The drainage outlet fitting 16 is usually readilyremovable upon loosening a screw 16" andi when removed may" disclose the i spring 325 as inthe form of' Figure 4.

a The spring 32with-hotel conditions of service is usually desirably non-adjustable by guests, at least not adjustable toan extent that mayrunduly raisethe temperature setting of the thermostatic opening of the drainage valve, and inthe forms of Figures 4a,fl4b and 40; the adjustment can only 'be made from inside the overflowcompartment "In Figures 4 and 4b the spring32 on32 isactingin a directionltoclose the valve 29, andif the spring were taken out, as by the tampering ofa transient guest, the valve 29 will eitherstayopen continuously or if it does close responsive tothe water pressure f the spring. m a

While thedrainage outlet fitting ldis' desirably readily removablefrom the shower within the overflow chamber, the temperature at which the thermostat will openut willbeilowered by reason of the absence head as by loosening a set screw 16", the

* front plate 22 of thebox is much less readily removable, and is readily fastened to place linta way making it difiicult Orv-impossible to takeofi' without special toolsiand the illustrated screw fastening at26 is intended -30 for a conventional illustration of any such fastening. l a a a g In the formsof Figures 46 and 40, the

springis inside the shower head and only accessible by removal of the front'plate 22,

' intended to :.be difficult or impossible to remove Without special tools.

In Figure 4b the; spring is made nonadjustable and anylremoval otthe spring will cause the thermostatic openingl of the valve at relatively lowtemperature. 1

lnFigures 4c, tar/and 4 the spring :is a provided Withan adjustment at 321, 32 or 32 but this adjustment lSEOUt of reach of the ordinaryhotel guest and permitsthe management orother authorized person to accommodate easily the; variant wishes of different guests as to the maximum shower temperatures, or; different pressure conditionsat differentpartsof the hotel. a i l Itwillfbe seen that in both Figures 4b and 4c the spring 32 or 32 is compressed betweenthe side of the chamber and an abutment on the stem 34 of thevalve, the

abutment 32 being adjustablein Figure 4c and non-adjustable in Figure lb.

a p In Figure 4a the spring is adjustable but 4 out of reach of the'ordinary user, it bein necessary to not only take off the front plate 4 of the head but also to remove the thermo stat before adjustment can be effected n Another featureotthev present invention wis directed to the flowing of the inlet water overithe thermostatic element even while the =box isempty. I r a l a As a resultofthisfeatureithe drainage throttle discs are provided having orifices,

size of orifice that will-best accommodate 1 the normal water valve 29 stays open continuously t as long asthe supply-Water is undesirably hotfthe box 21 remaining substantially empty above the drainage outlet; 1 5

Asshown inFigure the inlet end of the 970 nozzleis providedywith ajcentrallyperforated inward flange 141; The inlet end of a pipe 42 threads; rigidly into the perforation ofthe flange 41 and the outlet end of the pipe which directs the flow upon theinside surface of thethermostat is located to rim the inletvvater always over a considerable portion of the length of the thermostatic element, thereby insuring a prompt action of the thermostat irrespective of quantity of Water inthe box-21. 1 i

If the water first entering theboxis unduly hot the: opening of the thermostat is thus extremely prompt by reason of the water being directed to flow over the length "7845 of theelement while the box is still empty.

The form of the member guiding the inlet a supply water=to the upper portion'wof the thermostat should be selectedto mo st effecutlvely fiowtheinlet water over the thermostat37 Without permitting anyof it to splash over the sheet 23 into thedischarge compartment 24. i

In Figure 2 it is shown: as a suitabl fcurvednipple 42Wh1le-1n Figure 5 itiin-" cludes a spray orbaflleimember'43dllustrated as an integral portion of a nipple 44 threadedintocthe flange 41, the member 43 being bent or otherwise formed to best direct the water entering the box to most effectively engage the thermostatic:element Without any of it entering the discharge compartment 24 a exceptby normal use of the shower. 1'

It will be seen that the liquid pressure inside thenozzlehwill bedetermined for a given liquid by the Irate of how into the nozzle and the size and number of the spray openings. 1 a i a 1 J For a givensize and number of spray openings and a given size ofinlet opening g as shown in Figure 2 at the inlet endof the nozzle, that disc beingselected having a pressure in the -H p1pe14. a

It will be understood these available normalpressures vary quite Widely indifferent "localities. a 1 a a i While the vwatersupply pressures: will the i830 have quite different though perhaps quite definite maximum pressures in different localities, the available pressures will many times not be constant through the day, the maximum pressures (different in different localities) being usually available at indefinite periods of the day and variantly lower pressures at other times of the day.

It will be understood that the thermostat opens the drainage valve 29 against the water pressure within the box 21 and that if the water pressure is unduly high the temperature at which the thermostat opens the valve will be raised in that the thermostat must acquire an abnormally great thermostatic strain to overcome the abnormally high pressure.

In view of this the applicant provides a pressure-regulating fitting at 13 which reduces the pressure beyond the fitting to a satisfactorily uniform value irrespective of even quite wide variations of pressure before the fitting, such pressure variation as does take place after the fitting being as a 0011- sequence too small to materially affect the temperature at which the thermostat opens the valve.

One form for this fitting is illustrated in Figure 7. The variable water supply pressure at the inlet of this fitting pushes back a spring piston to progressively throttle a discharge opening beyond the piston, thereby securing a sufiiciently uniform discharge through the fitting despite variant supply pressure.

A sleeve 13 comprising the body or barrel of the fitting makes threaded connections at its inlet and discharge ends with the pipes 14 and 12. i

The sleeve 13 has a cylindrical bore 47 inward for a considerable portion of its length from its inlet end, with a throttle opening and an inward shoulder 48 at the inner end of the bore 47 and a forwardly flaring bore 49 from the shoulder 48 toward the outlet end of the fitting.

The pressure-regulating member includes a 'piston or disc 50 sectionally smaller than the bore 47, within the bore 47, and resiliently pressed away from the shoulder 48 by a spring 51 compressed between the shoulder and disc.

Rearward movement of the disc 50 is illustrated as limited by a forwardly extending stem 52 surrounded by the spring. This stem has a forward. taper into the throttle opening, progressively throttles the opening when pushed forwardly and carries a second disc or transverse pin 53 at its forward end limiting rearward movement of the stem and piston by engaging the opposite sides of thebore 49.

The water in passlng through the sleeve passes between the windings of the spring into the interior thereof and thence onward through the throttling inlet of the flaring bore 49 of the sleeve to the showerhead.

The strength and dimensions of the spring are selected or adjusted to make the throttling between the taper stem 52 and the contracted portion of the sleeve progressively variant with supply pressure'which thereby makes the rate of flow through the fitting affected to only a substantially immaterial extent by relatively wide variations in the applied inlet pressure.

When the spray water is turned on for use at the spray, the first rush of water increases the pressure inside the nozzle and effects a closure of the waste valve.

The box does not fill instantaneously with water due to the inlet flow being throttled at the fitting l3 and at the throttle disc 45.

If the water is too'hot for use at the spray the thermostat forces open the waste valve before the box has filled sufficiently to overflow into the orifice header 24, the water falling as soon as the valve opens.

If the temperature of the water is too low to operate the thermostat the water fills the nozzle, overflows into the header compartment and discharges as spray through the openings 15 and if the user inadvertently turns on too much hot water it cannot reach the spray orifices, being diverted to waste before the box overflows or if already full, before the temperature of the spray can become undesirably high.

In view of'my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 2- 1. Shower structure of the character indicated including a chamber having an inlet, an overflow discharge to the shower and a low drainage outlet, a drainage valve across the outlet, a thermostat having a considerable portion of its length inside the chamber higher than the outlet and operativelyconnected to the valve, means operative with low water in the chamber for directing the inlet water to flow over thehigh portion of the thermostat and means for automatically adjusting the normal water supply pressure appliedto the inlet.

2. Shower structure of the character indicated including an overflow chamber having an inlet, an overflow discharge to the shower and a low drainage outlet, a drainage valve across the outlet, a thermostat having a considerable portion of its length inside the chamber higher than the outlet and opera 1 tively connected to the valve and means operative with low'water in the chamber for directing the inlet water to flow over the high portion of the thermostat.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which said means includes a pipe inside the chamber having one end threaded into the inlet and the other directed to the thermostat at a high portion thereof.

4. The structure of claim 2 in which said i a means includes a nipple at the inner end of against the retraction of the spring to a progressively greater extent by progressively greater pressure. 1

7. Shower mechanism of thecharacter indicated including a chamber having a low drainage outlet and a high overflow outlet to the shower, a valve across the drainage outlet, a stem adjustably threaded on to the valve, a guide surrounding the stem, a

spring around the stem having one end against the guide, a non-adjustable head on the stem engaging the other end of the spring, a thermostat inside the chamber and a longitudinally adjustable connection between the stemand thermostat, the head and spring being outside of the chamber.

8. Shower mechanism of the character indicated including a chamber having a valved inlet, a low drainage outlet and a high overflow outlet to the shower, a valve inside the chamber across the drainage outlet, a thermostat operatively connected to the valve and spring means cooperating with the thermostat holding the valve normally open when theinlet is closed, permitting the water pressure inside the chamber during normal use to hold the valve closed and to permit the thermostat when subjected to abnormally high temperature to open the valve.

9. Shower mechanism of the character indicated including a chamber having a valve inlet, a low drainage outlet and a high overflow outlet to the shower, a valve inside the chamber across the drainage outlet, a thermostat inside the chamber operatively connected to the valve and a spring located in the;outlet upon and cooperating with the thermostat whereby the valve normally opens when the inlet supply is closed, whereby the pressure of the water in the chamber during normal use holds the valve closed and whereby the valve opens automatically in the event that the thermostat is subjected to undesirable high temperature from the water of the chamber. 1

ROBERT HETHERINGTON. 

